1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a movable wall comprising a plurality of movable panels for use in a building to divide rooms or areas into separate spaces. The panels are suspended on suspension devices from a rail structure attached to a ceiling or other building structure. The suspension devices have rollers to allow the panels to be moved along the rail. In movable walls of this type, the panels may be designed to be moved manually, or the panels may be automatically moved by an automatic panel drive unit. The rail structure can be designed to split or branch off in multiple directions so that the panels can be moved into various positions.
This invention further relates to a runner rail for a movable wall system that comprises a plurality of panels, each panel of which is mounted by means of at least one suspension device. The suspension device has a guide roller associated with the runner rail so that it can move in the runner rail. The runner rail has at least one running surface on which runner rollers lie, with lateral guidance means for the suspension device or parts thereof, by which the runner rollers are held in the running surface in the direction of movement. The runner rail has at least one junction at which the suspension device of each panel is steered in a predetermined manner into a direction of movement on the running surface.
2. Background Information
German Patent No. 40 15 870 A1 describes a runner rail of the prior art for use with a movable wall, the panels of which are mounted in the runner rail so that they can be pushed. The suspension device thereby has runner rollers that are associated with the rail. The runner rail comprises two separate running surfaces and guide means associated with each of them. Each running surface and the corresponding guide means are formed by a profiled rail, on which the runner rollers of the associated suspension devices sit, and each of which is adapted to match the profile of the rail. For this purpose, the runner rollers have wheel flanges and are thereby guided laterally by the rail. The runner rollers are also each mounted in the suspension devices so that they can rotate around a horizontal axis and carry the panels that are fastened to them, thereby forming a part of the suspension device. The runner rail is thereby provided with two rails and at least one junction, whereby one rail runs through the junction in a first direction and the other rail runs through the junction in a second direction. Each direction of displacement is therefore associated, ahead of and behind the junction of the runner rail, with a rail, and thus with a running surface. Therefore each panel must be movably mounted according to its predetermined direction of displacement on the associated rail of the runner rail. One disadvantage of this design is that it is very complex, expensive and inflexible. For example, if a panel is to be moved in any direction other than its originally intended direction, the entire suspension device must be modified and the panel must be hung on the other rail of the runner rail. A large number of component structures are also necessary, namely suspension devices for the rail that is associated with one direction of movement and suspension devices for the rail that is associated with the other direction of movement.
German Patent No. 16 59 879 A1 describes a mobile partition, the individual horizontally movable wall elements of which are supported on the floor side and are only guided on the ceiling side. Consequently, the wall elements are not suspended, and to that extent there are no ceiling-side suspension devices with corresponding running surfaces. There is a lateral stabilization and guidance that is provided by the ceiling rail, whereby the corresponding guide wheels for the determination of the direction of travel also slide along outside a rigid junction at a different height in the side walls of the ceiling rail.
German Patent Publication Published for Opposition Purposes No. 19 57 004 describes a device for the segmental movement of rail pieces that are located on a ceiling switch and for the optional connection of intersecting or crossing segments of runner rail. Devices of this type are used for portions of movable walls, among other things. To actuate the movable rail pieces, switching lugs of swiveling switch pockets project into the corresponding rail segments. As a result of the passage of the wall elements which are suspended on the trucks, the individual rail segments can be pivoted as appropriate and can thus actuate a revolving switch accordingly.